A Bowl Full of Cherry Tomatoes
by Kiwako
Summary: Cherry Tomato #2: Between Men. "Stay away from my daughter, you cradle-snatching reprobate."
1. Vows

**Vows**

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><p>"I swear I won't let you regret it."<p>

She swallows, feeling the familiar sting of tears as they well up and blur her vision, until all she sees is a vague, Sasuke-shaped blob.

"We'll live happily every day. We'll definitely find happiness together."

Already, the tears she has fought so hard to keep at bay are spilling forth, and there is nothing she can do to hide them any longer, not from him, not from herself, not from anyone.

"I will do anything for you. I'd _kill_ for you. Anything you want me to do, I'll do it for you."

The guests are silent, then. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see some of them turning and raising eyebrows at each other. Nobody should be surprised that Sasuke's choice of vows is short and not conventionally romantic. The real issue is probably how earnest and downright childish his words sound. She can see Ino's eyes narrowing into skeptical slits on her behalf: she clearly had higher expectations from the boy she would have declared the most eligible bachelor in Konoha if he hadn't gone "batshit crazy" for a few years. One row over, her mother seems mildly perturbed that her new son has chosen to bring up manslaughter at his own wedding. Tsunade merely looks pensive, and studies Sakura's face intently.

Sakura is the only one who hears his vows, recognizes the desperate promises of her 12-year-old self, and understands the truth he intends to convey to her alone.

He has loved her all along.

_(When she whispers "thank you," Sasuke leans in to cup her face in his hands and brush away her tears with his thumbs. Then the room erupts in titters, because only Team 7 ever knew he was capable of such tenderness.)_

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><p><strong>AN: If I fleshed out all the things I wanted to write about, I'd probably flunk out of school, something I really can't afford to do right now-my only options are to drop dead or pass. So, a compromise: ficlets! I suppose these will all be Gravitation-verse, more or less. And if you've read that and gotten concerned, I promise Sakura won't cry every single time! They're going to find happiness together, after all.**

**In this one, I ended up using an unofficial translation of 181 that happened to use the future tense rather than the conditional, just because it made for better wedding vows that way.**


	2. Between Men

**Between Men**

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><p>"Kakashi."<p>

"Sasuke?"

"_Fuck off._"

"That's 'fuck off, Hokage-sama' to you."

"Whatever. Just keep your filthy hands off Sarada."

"Sakura-chan actually encourages some germs, you know. Haven't you heard of the hygiene hypothesis? Helps build her immune system and prevent allergies and all that."

"Dammit, Kakashi, you know that's not what I'm talking about!"

"...Are we talking about dinner last night?"

"Tch."

"When your daughter proposed to me?"

"And you _accepted_!"

"Maa, maa. Sarada didn't really mean it. Little girls declare their intent to marry their father figures all the time."

"And _I'm_ her father."

"Obviously. But who takes care of her when you're away and Sakura is busy?"

"You—"

"And may I remind you who got Sakura to the hospital when she went into labor while you were away?

"You—"

"And who held her hand the whole time, suffering several fractures in the process?"

"Give me a freaking break! She was _five weeks_ early! And I made it in the end, didn't I?!"

"Thanks to Naruto and his flying thunder god technique."

"Anyway, she already practically lived in the hospital."

"Because I assigned her there."

"Not the point. Stay away from my daughter, you cradle-snatching reprobate."

"Can't help it if I'm a silver fox, Sasuke."

"_You can't marry my daughter._"

"Of course not. Then I'd have to call you Daddy."

"Shut up before I puke."

"Papa?"

"NO."

"I'm kidding, I'd rather just live in sin."

"!"

"I was joking."

"…"

"Sasuke?"

"_Yeah,_ I know. And I know she's too young for it to mean anything. I'm just stressed, ok?"

"Of course you are."

"…yeah."

"I understand where you're coming from, you know. There once was a lovely young girl who was like a daughter to me."

"So?"

"Now you're sleeping with her."

"Tch. If it bothers you so much, then stop trying to give me sex tips all the time."

"I just want her to be happy. As much as I want you to be happy."

"…thank you?"

"Any time."

"And we are."

"What?"

"Happy."

"Ah. I know, Sasuke. I can tell. Seriously, seeing you three now, I could die happy."

"Thank you."

"Any time."

"I mean it. For putting your ass on the line for me that time, for giving me another chance, for always watching over Sakura and Sarada when I can't."

"Of course."

"Hn."

"While we're on the subject of keeping watch, I'd keep an eye on Boruto, if I were you."

"What? Why?"

"Sarada thinks he's _annoying_."

"And just what the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?!"

"You tell me. After all, she's _your_ daughter."

"…shit."

"He's a nice boy."

"He's a moron."

"Hey. She's going to marry a moron someday. Might as well be Naruto's moron."

"Tch."

"Maa, maa. That's just what daughters do. They're all yours for a few fleeting years, until they discover boys, spread their legs—"

"_What._"

"—and fly away."

"…"

"Ah, did I say legs? I meant wings."

"_CHIDORI."_

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><p><strong><em>AN: _I've always considered Kakashi the most epic troll in the entire series. He's a bored genius, but in a more overtly flippant way than Shikamaru.**


End file.
